Tag Archives: December 5th

China Doll

1 1/2 oz Caprock Gin

3/4 oz Lemon Juice

1 oz Coconut Jasmine Cream

5 drops Jasmine Rose Water

Egg White

Garnish: Edible Rose Petals

In December I celebrated Repeal day (for a reminder of what that is, click here!) and ended up at No Vacancy in Hollywood. First off, I adore the entrance to No Vacancy. I used to go there when it was ‘Jane’s House’ and the building itself is, well, a house! The Houston Brothers totally utilized this look for No Vacancy by creating an elaborate entrance wherein you enter a bedroom and a lady tells you the “house rules”, then the bed splits in half and you walk under it and end up in the main house staircase. Very cool and different. I recommend checking it out when you’re next out in Hollywood.

Anyway, I digress. At the Repeal Day event I tried the above cocktail and it was nothing short of delicious! The original drink recipe was created by Sean Hamilton (Bar Manager of No Vacancy) and I had it made for me on this occasion by bartender Jimmy Avelar. I loved it!

It was beautifully balanced, sweet and creamy but with a delicate feminine quality from the jasmine. From my first sip I knew it had to be a ‘Drink of the week’ on here and because of it’s ‘lady like’ qualities, I plan on serving it at my bridal shower! Clearly it is a recipe not so easy to replicate at home, what with the jasmine infusions, but if you decide to give it a go, I don’t think you will be disappointed. 🙂

Cameron’s Kick

(The image chosen shows this drink in a coupe, however the cocktail glass became particularly popular in the 30’s and is probably a more appropriate glass for this drink.)

Repeal Day

December 5th is known in the US as ‘Repeal Day’ and is a huge day for celebration (for those who enjoy a good drink anyway!)

Most people around the World know or have heard of Prohibition in the United States. It was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution and the Volstead Act were what set down the rules for enforcing the ban during this time, and defined the types of alcoholic beverages that were prohibited. Prohibition ended with the approval of the 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th Amendment, on December 5, 1933…hence the name Repeal day!!!

The original thought process of banning alcohol was so that crime would go down and people would live a more ‘Christian life’, it was pushed mainly by the women at the time who felt that their men became ‘devils’ when they drank. Banning alcohol altogether of course, did the exact opposite of what they had hoped for. The thirteen years of Prohibition were a dark time for the United States, and led to the rise of highly organized crime, viscious mafia gangs and turf wars.

The cocktail community in particular likes to celebrate Repeal Day because December 5th marks a return of skills that might have been lost had Prohibition continued, like craft fermentation and distillation. It also helped to legitimize the American bartender once again as a contributor to society and social customs. Before Prohibition the term ‘Bartender’ was not frowned upon or seen as a ‘job on the side until you pick a career’, it was a career in itself and one that was respected as part of the culinary arts.

I chose this drink because I felt that a Scotch drink from the 1930’s seemed the most appropriate. Scotch (in particular Dewar’s Scotch) was the first legal whisky to arrive in the States and hit New York’s South Street Seaport docks the moment the law was put into action. Joseph Kennedy, Sr. (JFK’s father) happened to be the US agent for the brand and for a company named Somerset Importers. Somerset owned the exclusive rights to import Dewar’s Scotch and Gordon’s Gin, and right before Repeal Day they stocked up. Once Prohibition was over, they sold the premium liquors for a huge profit!

The Cameron’s Kick is delicious! The two types of whiskey compliment each other rather than compete and with the lemon juice and orgeat it kind of tastes like a whisky sour mixed with a marzipan flavor. Orgeat is an almond syrup scented with orange blossoms and I think tastes like liquid marzipan! The drink itself is refreshing though and very tasty. I should mention that the orgeat you buy in stores tends to be way sweeter than ones made at home or in bars, if you don’t want to make your own (which I admit is a time consuming process) then use just 1/2oz of the store brand orgeat to keep the sweetness down.

There are a couple of exciting events going on in Los Angeles on Wednesday, many bars offering drinks at repeal day prices too. Sassafras, Thirsty Crow, Bigfoot Lodge, and Oldfield’s Liquor Room are selling some cocktails for 50 cents, yep you heard me, 50 cents!!! So be sure to check them out.

Anyway, enough of the history lesson…get drinking this week and be glad we don’t live in 1920s America!!!